Trollfest - Brumblebassen

I know what you're thinking: "What, a novelty band!?  Has Kawana jumped on the Folky/Pirate Metal bandwagon?"  The short answer is no.  I'm as surprised as you are that I'm posting an album with an "evil bumblebee" on the cover, but I'm genuinely impressed with cohesiveness and musicianship displayed here.  There's just so many notes being played and so many influences coming through at once, but all executed with supreme precision.  Are they using computers to correct their timing?  It's possible, but I'm just paying attention to how fucking entertaining and refreshing this sounds to really care.  Ok, so it's probably not gonna make fans out you "bearded types" that are digging the new Krallice album.  If you wanna hear something that's a bit more atypical than your usual Nekkro or Guttural drivel, then fly away with me to the Nordic fantasy realm.

almost as tasty as bee spit

Desecresy - The Doom Skeptron

Ah, I've been sitting on this record for a couple months now, but for some reason it kept slipping my mind.  Desecresy are among the finest modern purveyors of the old Finnish sound.  Without sounding like any one particular classic band, they've surely exhumed the corpses of their brutish ancestors (who are probably only 40 by now) and have expelled this cavernous collection as their newest offering.  All the traditional ingredients can be found here: visceral groans, relentlessly buzzing guitars, and overall nauseating atmosphere.

the doomed skeptic      

Numb

Simple Grindcore goodness without any annoying "ringy" snare drums or belches.  Blackened riffs here and there add a nice touch.  If you liked that Male Misandria I posted a while ago, or that Cloud Rat from last year, you'll like this.

No - Can You Dig It?

It's rare when you have a modern band that straddles that line between Hardcore and (medium-strength) Punk, but No do just that.  There's a very strong Dead Kennedys influence going on too.  Sorry for the huge file size, I guess it's uncompressed or something.

 

 

uno 

due 

Depressive Age - First Depression

Not your typical Prog Thrash album (if such a thing exists).  These Germans got much more into melody and dynamics than their peers.  Quite good and unique.

my wage is depressive

Dog Days - Via Dolorosa

Another band in the seemingly endless ocean of Modern Hardcore mash-up.  I always expect myself to get bored with this style, but I never do.  I think it's because I love pretty much every sub-genre that these bands pull from.  Powerviolence, Metalcore, D-Beat, Death Metal, Sludge... All of which are great on their own, and just as good when puréed into an ultra-tough, roided, muscle pudding.  Dog Days (from jolly, old England) take a Metalcore soup base, add Post-Hardcore chunks, Euro Death Metal cream, jullienne'd Thrash, and drizzled with real guitar lead lustre.  Serve chilled and enjoy!

   

Pog Days

Fhoi Myore - Fhoi Myore

Raw, epic Black Metal in the old Swedish tradition (but from France).  Especially scathing vocals.  Nothing new, but still good.

the one eyed monster

Slang - Glory Outshines Doom

Slang has always been a bit of an anomaly.  They're the only ones (that I know of) that mixed 80's Japanese Hardcore with 90's New York Metallic style.  They never could quite pull off the mosh riffs, so I'm glad they've left all the "pit riffment" behind and have given us a no-frills D-Beat assault.  They're new, focused style has them sounding better than ever.  There is some Metal influence creeping in here and there, but in a much more Crusty fashion a la Filth of Mankind/Misery.  The production is decently clear, but brittle.  But hey, you can never expect too good of production with this kind of shit.

lookin' california, and feelin' minnesota

The Boston Strangler - Primitive

Some new Boston kids (Mind Eraser, No Tolerance) following in the footsteps of their ancestors (SSD, Negative Approach, Gang Green), and doing so quite well.  Olde Tyme Hardcore without any annoying new flavor.  If you're a macho jerk with a death wish, then this is for you.

dingle dangler  

Xozo - Farsight

Throw about every heavy music genre from the past twenty years into a blender, and you might end up with this.  From the metallic, to the sludgey, to the post-whatever, you'll find it displayed here.  In simpler terms, I would say it's somewhere between Neurosis, Kylesa and Trap Them.  All of this is pulled off extremely well.  The stylistic changes within don't sound abrupt or ill-fitting at all.  Highly recommended bludgeoning.  Also, sorry about the lack of posts lately, I just haven't found much stuff that's appealed to me.

I don't know what to do with this tossed salad and scrambled eggs...